Top tips for managing stress around results day

Anxiety and stress are common emotions to experience during results day. Feeling anxious can become all-consuming. I know how difficult it is to manage your emotions and stress in relation to results day. Just remember that this is something everyone experiences, and you are not alone. Support will always be available. At Leeds Beckett University all of the staff are friendly and supportive. If you need some help or have any questions on the day, the admissions team is on hand to support you. Give them a call on the Clearing hotline 0113 812 3113 and they’ll help answer your questions and put you at ease.

Here are some of the things that I found helpful when preparing for my results day. By sharing these I hope they might help you too or give you some inspiration to find your own personal ways to reduce stress.

Collect your results with friends or family

Having a support system on results day can help put you at ease and give you someone you can confide in. I also think collecting your results with a friend makes the situation less stressful. As you know that both of you are in the same boat and will get through it together. Plus, if you get the grades you want, you have someone to celebrate with which is something I appreciated. However, if you do prefer to collect your results alone that’s fine too, everyone is different and I’m sure your friends and family will still be ready to support you when you get home.

Get a good night’s sleep

I know it is so difficult to go to sleep the night before results day. Lying awake, filled with anxiety isn’t nice. A good night’s sleep may make you feel more relaxed. For me the best way to achieve this was to switch my phone off. I found that scrolling through my phone before bed really prevented me from nodding off and so to replace this need to be on my phone, I decided to focus on my breathing and read a book instead. The night before results day, this really helped me to feel calmer and although I missed my phone, it was definitely worth it to wake up, slightly less tired and anxious than I had the night before.

Try not to look at your phone before 8am

Many of us check our phones in the morning to see our notifications. But doing this on results day, before UCAS Hub has opened, may lead to overthinking, and can cause you to feel more anxious. Overthinking isn’t beneficial and may distract you from maintaining a positive mindset. My top tip would be to do something that doesn’t involve your mobile phone. That might be reading, or doing a hobby which calms you down, such as drawing. Or even just spending time with family. Before I collected my results, I enjoyed watching a light-hearted programme, to keep myself cheerful and maintain that level of serotonin.

Talk to a teacher

Talking to a teacher and having academic support will help you process your results and think through your options. Your teachers will also encourage you and ensure that you stay positive. Don’t be afraid of sharing any worries about your results. Your teachers are there to help. Please don’t bottle up how you feel. I know I would have felt less stressed and anxious if I’d spoken to a supportive teacher when collecting my results.

Make a Plan B and prepare for Clearing

There’s nothing wrong with having a backup plan. In fact, it is good organisation and can also provide you with a sense of security. Rather than panicking on the day about the Clearing process, look into Clearing in advance so you know what you’re doing if you don’t get the results you want. You can do this right now by taking a look at Leeds Beckett’s Clearing page where you can register for Clearing updates, read about the process and even browse all the courses available to apply for through Clearing. Remember to also get together any documents you may need before results day and make a note of important telephone numbers, including the Leeds Beckett admissions number.

Remember, emotions are normal

I believe that everything happens for a reason and there are things that we as humans can’t control, such as our emotions and feelings. I hope reading this blog has given you some good ideas and helps you to manage your stress better. Whatever grades you get remember everyone at Leeds Beckett is rooting for you and are happy to help discuss your options. Good luck!